RECEIVING six or more prescriptions of the drug gabapentin for low back pain is associated with significantly increased risks of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), US researchers have found.

With opioids increasingly off the table, gabapentin has become more popular for treating chronic pain.

However, concerns have emerged about its side effects, including a possible association with neurodegeneration, and the current study aimed to shed more light on these issues.

Reviewing the health records of over 50,000 people, they found that those who had received six or more gabapentin prescriptions were 29% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and 85% more likely to be diagnosed with MCI within 10 years of their initial pain diagnosis.

Concerningly, those aged 35-64 – normally considered too young to develop either condition – were more than twice as likely than those aged over 64.

Authors cautioned it was an observational study that cannot demonstrate cause and effect, but suggested close monitoring of people prescribed gabapentin for potential cognitive decline.

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